NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN - McCoy-Eagle Butte Colts back Koby Laychuk-May tries to shake off a tackle after catching a pass during an exhibition high school football game against the Pincher Creek Mustangs at the Methanex Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
No one knows how long the COVID-19 pandemic will require social distancing measures to remain in place, but Koby Laychuk-May still knows one thing for sure – he’ll be heading to Vancouver Island when they lift.Â
The 18-year-old McCoy Colts running back signed a letter of intent earlier this month to continue his football career with the Canadian Junior Football League’s Vancouver Island Raiders, and says if everything goes according to plan he’ll be making the move to B.C. in July.
“Playing football is my dream, and it’s not guaranteed after high school. Now, knowing I get to go play football is really exciting because I just want to keep playing,” said Laychuk-May, adding he’s still been putting in off-season training through COVID-19. “I still work out every day at home and I actually go to Kin Coulee most days and then I’ll go do speed training. Recently I got a full-time job (at LMT Enterprises) so I haven’t been able to do the speed training, but I’m still working out.”
Laychuk-May added he hopes to study at Vancouver Island University while competing with the Raiders over the next few years, with the goal becoming a teacher after hanging up his helmet.Â
“My first year I have to do general studies, but I’m planning to be a teacher,” said Laychuk-May, who expects to play at running back and on special teams for the Raiders.Â
The graduating Colt has seen his share of peaks and valleys over the past three years at McCoy. After collecting one victory over his first two high school seasons, Laychuk-May was a linchpin in his team’s 5-4 turnaround campaign – a stretch that certainly helped put him on the CJFL radar.Â
While he never hoisted a championship trophy, Laychuk-May says the experience showed him what it takes to trudge on through adversity and achieve the satisfaction of overcoming the odds.
“We definitely went through the ups and downs. I think that will help me when I go to post-secondary because not everything is going to be ups and I know how to handle the downs,” said Laychuk-May. “We faced a lot of adversity. My rookie year we didn’t win any games, second year we won one and it was against Pincher Creek. Then we got a whole brand new coaching staff and I think a new mentality was brought to the team. We had a phenomenal season, we went 5-4.”
Laychuk-May added his coaching staff – which includes current head coach Darrell Grass as well as former Adrian Szola and all the staff who helped along the way -Â Â played a big part in shaping him into a player capable of post-secondary football. He put in the effort, but they showed him the way.Â
“They shaped me into the player who I was,” he said. “Yeah, I showed up and I put the work in and everything like that, but I couldn’t teach myself to know what I know today. A lot of credit goes to previous coaching staff and the new coaching staff, and coach Grass himself. He’s a genius when it comes to football.”Â
The Vancouver Island Raiders went 5-6 through this past regular season before falling to the Westshore Rebels in the playoffs.
